Chapter 3

3

T obias let himself into the townhouse well after dark, out of consideration for the day of the week and what it meant. Back at the beginning, Tuesday had traditionally been the day that Noah had off, his day to relax and simply do as he pleased. When Phantom had become friends with Noah, they'd begun to use Tuesday nights as a time to watch movies and cuddle, so it had been natural to leave Tuesdays as their day off when Phan once more became Tobias' submissive.

The first time Phan had belonged to Tobias, there hadn't been days off. A lot of things had changed in a decade.

The day off was in both submissives' contracts, and it was important. Plus, there was the added benefit that, with both of his boys having a day off, Tobias also got a free day once a week. Usually he spent part of the day on his farm, riding and doing paperwork, but since he'd sold off most of the land to his former land manager, Tobias found that Tuesdays tended to drag a little.

This time he'd taken his ride, raked the stalls, and then headed into the city. He had stopped by the club, but not to work; Bradford could be rather difficult if it looked like Tobias was either overworking or bored. Instead, Tobias had stopped by to have lunch in the dining room since there wasn't a boy to cook for him, then he'd gone to spend an afternoon at the museum, examining a traveling exhibit of Austrian artifacts.

Supper was solo at one of his favorite restaurants, so by the time he got home, he was feeling more than a little lonely and still had some lingering worry about Phantom's erratic behavior of the morning.

Coat neatly hung up, Tobias walked to the living room, making a point not to move softly. He'd done that once before and wound up with his arm twisted up behind his back.

Noah waved but didn't look up, his eyes glued to what appeared to be the end of a horror movie. Phan, who was half in Noah's lap, patted the empty space next to him on the couch.

"I hate these movies," Noah whispered.

Phan chuckled and snuggled closer into Noah. "No, you don't."

"Shut up." Noah picked a bowl up off the coffee table and reached across the couch to Tobias. "Popcorn?

"No, thank you." Tobias hated picking popcorn out of his teeth. He sat, however, and petted Phantom's hip as he leaned over to kiss Noah. "Is this almost over?"

Phan wiggled around and draped his legs over Tobias'. "Shhhh." His eyes went wide and he looked at Tobias, then cringed. "I mean..."

Tobias laughed softly and shushed. It was their day off; he could make allowances. Which was not to say that he wouldn't hesitate to smack Phan's ass if he did the same thing on a Wednesday.

"Yes. Shhhh." Noah waved his hand to quiet Tobias down. Noah, being a bit more self-possessed, had no such qualms about ordering Tobias around.

Moments later, the music ramped up and the screen faded to black. "So, wait, it was her all along? What a bloodthirsty psycho! God, women really are evil." Noah threw up his hands. "I can't believe you make me watch this crap. Ugh."

"You love it," Tobias and Phan said at the same time. Tobias grinned and dug his fingers into Phan's side, wincing as Phan shrieked. "God, Phan. You're shrill."

Noah snorted. "It's a defense mechanism. It drives away predators. Too bad it can't drive away memories of really bad movies."

Tobias laughed and tickled Phan more, moving with him as he flailed on the couch. "I appear to be an immune predator."

"Noah!" Phan yelled, laughing and reaching for Noah's arms. "Save me! Eek!" He thrashed harder, and Tobias had to almost lie on top of him to keep him from tumbling right off the couch.

"Yes, Noah." Tobias grinned. "Save him. It'll be fun."

Noah slipped out from under Phan. "You asked for it." He disappeared from Tobias' view for a moment and strong fingers landed on Tobias' ribs. "Tickle, tickle," Noah teased, digging his fingers into Tobias' sides. "I'd go for your toes, but they've been in your shoes for a while. Yuck."

"Hey!" Tobias held Phan's wrists with one hand and reached back to grab at Noah with the other. "There's nothing yucky about my feet." He laughed as he missed Noah and looked back at Phan. "You've stopped trying to get away."

"I kind of like being smooshed into the couch, sir." Phan wiggled under him, and Tobias had to agree that Phan really liked it.

He looked back at Noah. "One moment, please."

"Take as many as you like, I don't mind." Noah grinned and went back to trying to tickle him, which of course made Tobias move.

Which made Phan moan.

Which made Noah laugh.

"I think the couch is too small for this," Tobias said dryly. "Did either of you save any energy for me today?"

"Plenty," Noah said, and Tobias felt Noah's hands move from his ribs to parts a bit farther south, where they loosened his belt.

Tobias let Noah do that and dipped his head to kiss Phan for a moment, licking his way into Phan's mouth without any trouble at all. Under him, Phan was still wiggling, but Tobias was fairly sure Phan wasn't trying to get away. When Phan's hands joined in to help Noah's and started on the zipper, Tobias said, "This is still the couch. If we make a mess out here, someone is going to have to clean it up, and it's not going to be me."

Tobias felt a tug on his waistband. "As if there were somewhere in the house that you would actually have to clean up." Noah laughed, getting an arm around Tobias. "Come on. Bed's bigger. Phan, let him go."

Phan twined one hand around Tobias' cock and squeezed. "Remember where I was, okay?"

"Like I'd forget." Tobias kissed Phan again and got off his sub, turning to pull Noah close. Really, there were times he wished he had more hands. He offered his free hand to Phan and pulled, lifting the slight body right off the couch. Phan managed not to fall, though it was a near thing. It was hard to walk with his tongue in Noah's mouth and his legs tangling with Phan's, but months of practice got them all to the bedroom.

Tobias tumbled all of them down and kept Noah against him. "Was he good today?"

"Hmm. Yes, but he kept trying to feel me up." Noah sounded affronted.

Phan snorted in response. "It's called helping you dress, Noah."

"Okay, he helped me dress, taking every opportunity to grope me."

"Typical." And usually a lot of fun. "But what were you dressing for?" Tobias asked, genuinely curious.

"Oh! I bought suits today," Noah said, as if small talk were warranted at that moment. "For Bradford. Phan likes them. Do you think that's a good sign or a bad one?" Noah's fingers opened Tobias' shirt and played against his skin gently. "I worry a little."

Tobias watched as Phan's fingers tangled with Noah's against his chest. He liked the touches, Noah's a gentle caress and Phan's a tease since Phan was actually trying to stop Noah but unavoidably brushed against Tobias to do it.

Noah smiled at Phan. "Just getting a second opinion."

Phan sniffed and looked annoyed at the playful aspersion cast upon his character, but Tobias could both see and feel the way Phan was caressing Noah's fingers. There was a lot of love there, even if they did tend to act like bratty siblings sometimes. They couldn't even manage to work against each other for more than a moment.

"I'm always good. And I'll prove it." Phan sat up and straddled Tobias' thighs. "You two go ahead and talk about me. I'll just do what I do."

"Works for me." Noah stretched out along Tobias' side, propping his head up on one elbow. "Pretty much every time." Tobias felt Noah's lips on his shoulder. "How about you?"

"Uh-huh." Tobias watched Phan peel off his own shirt and nodded. What Phan did certainly worked for Tobias. "Often, even. Did it work for you today, Noah?" He sometimes wondered how much the two of them indulged on their days off. Maybe it was time to tighten the reins when they were working, just for the fun of it.

"Yes and no," Noah lifted his head and looked into Tobias' eyes. "Today I did a little work for him. He needed it."

"Did he?" Tobias kissed Noah and ignored Phan as much as he was able to, considering that Phantom was working at getting both of them undressed while remaining seated on Tobias' legs. "Here, or off when you were buying suits?"

"Ha! Here. I'm not risking the public thing again unless you're with me. If I close my eyes, I can still feel the sting after the locker room incident." Noah leaned over and nibbled Tobias' ear. "He's okay, but he wants to talk," Noah whispered. "You know, later, when you're less... distracted."

Tobias was definitely distracted. It was hard not to be, with Phan's hands on him, his clothing vanishing item by item. He nodded to Noah and kissed him again, but stopped when Noah leaned back. "Hey. I was busy with that."

"Me, too." Phan grinned at him and patted Noah's leg. "Help."

Noah shifted, letting Phan tug his shirt off, then he shifted again and pushed his jeans down over his hips. "Better?" he asked Phan.

"Yes, thank you." Phan said, tugging Noah's jeans off completely. "A little cooperation goes a long way."

"That should be our motto." Noah rolled again, pressing a stiff erection into Tobias' thigh.

Tobias grinned and curled a hand around Noah's ass. "I agree. I like it when you two work together."

"That's right," Noah purred. "You're just hedonistic and like to be worshipped."

Tobias nodded. "Something like that."

"And I'm never sure where to start." Noah, belying the words, didn't seem to have any trouble knowing what to do next. He rolled slightly and kissed Tobias hard, not in a submissive way as Tobias could have expected on any other night, but in the way of a hungry lover. He thrust his tongue into Tobias' mouth and ground his cock against Tobias' hip.

Amused, and more than a little turned on by his pet's show of force, Tobias kissed him back and even let Noah control the kiss for the time being. His concentration was being split between his lovers, not an unusual occurrence and one that none of them really minded. He made sure to have one on one time with each of them, for work and play and loving, but when it was all three of them together on a Tuesday, things sometimes got a little loud.

Phan was being unusually quiet, and Tobias had just started to break his kiss with Noah to find out what was wrong when sudden warmth engulfed his cock and then vanished again. He could feel Noah's hips being shoved away, and then Phan said, "Come on, kitten. Just lift up a bit, that's it," as he coaxed Noah into position.

Tobias felt Noah roll and lift his hips as Phan directed. "This isn't teamwork," Noah explained, his voice hoarse. "I have no idea what he's up to. You taste good, though. Scotch after dinner?" Noah kissed and nibbled at the corners of Tobias' mouth.

"Just one." He couldn't see Phan if he kept on kissing Noah, but he could feel. Phan arranged his legs with Noah's, then settled and curled around them; it was odd and convoluted, but when Tobias ran his fingers through Phan's hair, he heard a happy hum. "I have no idea what he's up to, either," he whispered to Noah. "Oh!"

Phan's tongue started licking Tobias' belly and cock, and warm fingers held him by the root. When Tobias' erection was lined up with Noah's, the shafts pressed together by Phan's hands, Tobias started to see where Phan was going with the gymnastics.

Noah groaned. "Jesus. Phan..." His voice was low and husky, and Tobias felt him arch his hips even more, as if looking for friction. "He's fucking insane."

"He's delightful," Tobias said unevenly as Phan's tongue slid down his cock again and then back up, where he and Noah were held together. "Don't hurt yourself, boy."

"Have a little faith," Phan mumbled, his voice obscured. "And then feel free to brag me up." His tongue lapped over the head of Tobias' erection, and then Phan took both Noah and Tobias into his mouth, just the crowns.

Noah hissed. "Extra credit for creativity," he somehow managed to say despite his obvious inability to get a deep breath. He lowered his head to Tobias' chest and rested his forehead there, his fingers digging into Tobias' sides.

Tobias nodded and closed his eyes. He held Noah close, petting Noah's back absently and counting the beats of Noah's heart as felt through his cock. With his other hand, Tobias carded through Phan's hair and encouraged Phan to go down on them. Phan could do it. "That's it, dear," Tobias whispered. "Perfect."

Phan hummed, and his tongue rubbed. He wasn't really able to lick, what with his mouth stuffed full, but he did what he could. He bobbed his head slowly, taking in more and more each time and jacking them with his hands as well. What he couldn't lick and suck, he teased and petted and stroked until Tobias was shaking from the effort not to thrust.

"Noah," Tobias said, listening to Noah's moans and gasps. "I want you to come after me, okay? A favor. Not an order." But he was so going to make sure this happened on a day when he could order it.

Noah made a sound, possibly trying to answer, but the words didn't come. A moment later, he nodded sharply against Tobias' chest. Tobias could feel the arch in Noah's back and the way Noah's legs were tensing and moving, likely also in an effort not to choke the very well-meaning and undeniably gifted Phan.

Noah made another low sound, and Tobias felt the sting of teeth around his nipple.

"Phantom." Tobias' voice was rough, and so were his fingers as he pulled hard on Phan's hair. "Stay, boy."

He'd broken character, unable to override his nature when pushed to the limit, but it didn't seem to matter. Phan stayed, moaning loudly and wiggling as Tobias started to come. He could feel Noah's efforts not to shoot as well, could hear Noah's desperate gasps each time Tobias' cock pulsed, but at least no one was objecting to Tobias issuing orders.

When come escaped Phan's lips to slide over Tobias' balls, Tobias let go of Phan's hair. "Now, Noah," he whispered, breathless and trembling. "You can come now."

"Thank you." Noah made a desperate sound, then rocked his hips through Phan's fingers and against Tobias' cock a couple of times before he came. He pushed away from Tobias slightly and gulped air, his eyes squeezed closed and his whole body rigid.

It was several moments before Noah relaxed, sinking gently against Tobias' chest. Tobias caught sight of Noah's fingers reaching for Phan and tangling in his hair.

"Up, dear," Tobias said to Phan, tugging far more gently than he had earlier. He held Noah nestled against him and urged Phantom to join them. "We'll take care of you."

Phan whimpered a bit but crawled up to lean on him, his eyes wide and his lips red and swollen. "Wow," he said, breathlessly, clearly proud of himself. "Neat." He wiped come off his chin and grinned. "Messy."

"If sex isn't messy, you're doing something wrong," Noah offered, reaching a hand across Tobias and stroking strong fingers down Phan's side.

Tobias laughed softly and drew Noah's hand down to Phantom's erection. "Not messy enough, yet." He curled their hands together around Phan's cock and started stroking, setting a quick pace. "When you wish, Phan."

"Oh!" Phan's eyes went wider and his shoulders went back a bit, his whole back arching as he thrust. "Sir! Noah!"

Tobias felt Noah's fingers tighten further around Phan's cock as he stroked. "That's it," Noah encouraged. "Show us the pretty, Phan."

"I am the pretty," Phan said with a gasp. Then he grabbed Noah's shoulder and started to come in ragged, jerky motions. "Oh, man!"

Tobias laughed softly and kept them going through it, only letting Phan go when he fell forward. "You're very pretty," he assured Phan. He kissed both his boys and tucked them in around him. "Both of you. What a nice way to come home."

"He's pretty, I'm handsome," Noah said in weak protest.

"Oh?" Tobias arched his eyebrow. "And what, then, am I?"

"Hot." Noah and Phan answered in unison. They stared at each other for a second and then started to laugh.

"And a little sticky," Noah added.

"Very sticky." Tobias smiled. "I kind of like that part, since the shower is right over there and I can get unsticky fairly fast. Tell me about your day. You shopped?"

Against him, Phan nodded. "Uh-huh. Noah got suits and wouldn't let me feel him up. Then he embarrassed me at the gym for a while."

"I beat his ass at basketball. You did say to get him some exercise."

"It was horrible." Phan looked unimpressed. "But we came home and showered."

"And Phan forgot I'd promised him some fun in the shower."

"I can't believe I did that."

"I know, I thought maybe you were sick." Noah laughed.

Phan stuck his tongue out at Noah. "I was exhausted and not thinking clearly. You reminded me, though, and then there was a shower race."

"Which I won."

"We both won."

Tobias blinked at the back and forth between his boys. He ought to be used to it by now, and he was, mostly, but it still amused him.

"Whatever." Noah grinned. "Oh, and then you actually ate the salad I put in front of you for lunch."

"Of course! You made me run and stuff. I was hungry."

"Good."

Phan snorted. "I'm hungry sometimes."

"Uh-huh. You know what I think? I think you forgot to eat breakfast yourself this morning with all the clanging around you were doing."

Tobias almost missed the tension that ran though Phan's body and vanished with a twitch. Almost.

"I ate," Phan said lightly. He looked at Tobias and added, "Then we went shopping again, for me. We went to the Coffee Bean and hit up the stores around there; you know, the leather shop."

Tobias nodded. "I see. Did you buy clothes, too?"

"Yep. Noah said I have muscles now. I don't know about that, but we did find pants that fit and some shirts. I wanted to go buy you incense, but Noah wouldn't let me."

"It makes people sneeze." Noah rolled his eyes. "Phan's got some nice definition, don't you think so? I was trying to pick out some new tops that would show off his muscles." He reached out and gave one of Phan's biceps a squeeze.

Phan rolled his eyes, the expression nearly identical to Noah's. "Please."

"And then I thought I'd lost him for, like, ten minutes. He ran off and bought something and he wouldn't show me what it was. Bad boy."

"I am not a bad boy." Phan stuck his nose in the air and said nothing further, which wasn't exactly typical.

Tobias nudged him and gave Phan most of his attention. "Phan?" he asked softly. "What did you buy?"

Phan looked distinctly uncomfortable, and if they'd had a more mainstream relationship, Tobias doubted Phan would have met his eye. As Phantom so rarely did that anyway, it was hard to tell, but his shoulders were certainly tight and there was a great deal of reluctance on his face. "It's a surprise, sir," he finally said. "For you both. I'd really rather not say."

"Oh." Startled, Tobias exchanged a look with Noah, who looked just as baffled. "From the clothing store?"

"No, sir." Phan shook his head and pointedly looked away, clear across the room to a wall. "I went next door. It's a gift."

Tobias tried to remember what was next to the shop and failed. There was the fetish place, a bookstore, a new age place... an art supply place, maybe? Something with colors in the front window. "Okay. If it's a gift, it's a gift. I can't think of any occasions coming up, though."

Phan remained resolutely silent on the matter.

Tobias looked at Noah and shrugged. "I think, my lovelies, that it's time to clean up. And then perhaps change the sheets. I have something I'd like to talk to you both about."

Noah rolled onto his back and then stretched out long like a lazy cat, his arms up over his head and his toes spread wide. After a lengthy yawn, he nodded. "Shower. Okay." He sat up. "Phan? Okay with you if I get selfish and greedy and take him with me?" Noah indicated that he meant Tobias with a tilt of his head. "I'll help you with the sheets after."

"You sure will," Phan said as he rolled away from Tobias and wrapped himself around a pillow. "It's a very big bed, and I can't do it alone."

Tobias laughed as he got up and slapped Phan's ass. "That's entirely untrue. You do it all the time, under orders."

"Noah's orders don't count. Slap me again?"

"Only because you're a good boy." Tobias bent and kissed him, then slapped his ass hard enough to sting his own palm. "That's it until morning."

"Thank you, sir!" Phan winced and rubbed the red mark on his butt. "Ow."

"Just the way you like it." Tobias grinned and took Noah's hand. "Shower, sweetheart, before I stick to everything."

Tobias felt Noah's fingers tangle with his as they made their way to the large master bathroom. Tobias had thought of every detail when he renovated the townhouse, including a shower that would suit the needs of at least two with enough luxury to suit himself. Noah started the water and got out a few towels. "After you," he said, smiling and gesturing for Tobias to step in.

"You're not on the job," Tobias said with a soft laugh. Still, he got in the shower and held out his hand. "Come here. I want to hold you for a bit." The water was warm, and it was one of life's little luxuries to stand and hold his lover close to him.

"Mmm." Noah hummed and slipped easily into Tobias' arms. "Missed you today." He ran his fingers up Tobias' back and then let his arms rest around Tobias' waist.

"I missed you, too." It was true. Once upon a time, Tobias would have laughed if he'd been told he'd say such a thing to his sub. Those days were long gone, however, and he'd grown comfortable with the complex relationship he and Noah maintained. Balance had been hard to find, but they seemed to have at least worked out the communication part.

Tobias held Noah to him and touched his skin gently, moving water over him. "You would think that we'd all be eager to spend time apart, since we live and work together. Always near, always knowing everything. But I just feel vaguely wrong when you and Phan are off doing your own thing."

Noah nodded against Tobias' chest. "The sub in me is happy with our customary six days a week. The lover sometimes wants more of... well, this. I think about that more when we're not together, I guess." Noah stepped back and ran his hands over Tobias' chest. "Phan and I had a nice day. Nothing wrong with that. I'm just glad you decided to join us tonight."

"I'll tell you a secret." Tobias kissed Noah's shoulder and more or less just hugged him as the shower rained down on them. "I really, really hate sleeping alone. I like sleeping with you in the bed or on the floor next to me, but the nights we're in separate houses drive me mad. I even like the nights you're both sent to your own rooms here better than being in different houses."

"Then unless you're specifically banished, you should just plan to join us on Tuesday nights. I prefer it, and no matter what Phan says, he doesn't really sleep well when you're not at least in the house somewhere."

Tobias had to laugh at the choice of words. "Banished?"

"Yes. Banished. As in it's our day off, no Doms allowed." Noah grinned, showing off his pearly whites and reached for the loofah. "Back scrub?"

"The banished get back scrubs?" Tobias smiled and kissed Noah softly. "Scrub away. May I ask you if Phantom's mood this morning affected your day off? I should have dealt with it. Sometimes it's not easy to tell with him. You're much more in my face with it when you've got something that needs talking about." He grinned and wondered if he maybe should have phrased that a little more delicately, since Noah was armed with a loofah.

"In your face, huh? That's... flattering." Noah snorted and set to scrubbing Tobias' back with the loofah. "Phan's mood always affects our day off together. Usually in a good way. It wasn't a bad day, we had a good talk on the way in this morning. We didn't resolve anything, really, except that he does need to talk to you, he has a legitimate concern, and I actually agree with most of what he's feeling. Like you said, it's something I would have jumped on by now if it were bothering me, but Phan is a little less confident about coming to you right away. Either he wanted to know how I felt about things before talking to you, or he's concerned that he's going to sound like the squeaky wheel, bringing every little thing to your attention. I wonder if maybe you need to make it clear to him that you want to hear everything, no matter how small he thinks it is, you know?"

Tobias nodded. "You're right, of course." His back tingled and he reached for the shampoo, suddenly wanting to be clean. "Honestly, if you'd met him when I did, you'd be blown away. He's almost a completely different man. In some ways that's very, very good. In other ways... his act, the way he is with everyone but us, how self-assured he can seem... I'd like to give him some of that for real. It was there, once."

"Sometimes it is real for him, Tobias. Give yourself a little credit; I don't think it's always an act." Noah took the shampoo bottle from Tobias and lathered up his own hair. It was still pretty short, but not as short as he'd worn it when he was a cop. After Tobias rinsed off, Noah nudged him out of the way and ducked under the spray. "But he still has a lot of fear, you know?"

"Yeah, he does." Tobias watched Noah wash and smiled. "How did this turn into talk about Phan time? My fault." He leaned close and held Noah's hips as he kissed a path on Noah's jaw. "I love you. Thanks for not banishing me."

Noah nodded. "I love you, too. And you're welcome." He ran his hands down Tobias' arms. "All clean?"

"The outside, anyway." He shut off the water and allowed Noah to hand him a towel. "Bradford told me this afternoon that I have a dirty mind. You can imagine my reaction."

"And your point would be?" Noah deadpanned.

Tobias laughed, hearing his reply and delivery from Noah's mouth. "That's the one. Then I pointed out that he's the one who owns a sex club, not me."

"Ah ha! A. It's not a sex club, it's a BDSM gentleman's club. This is an important distinction, says the ex-cop." Noah laughed. "And B. I beg your pardon, but you do own it. You're his business partner, and as such you share in the profits as well as the deviance, remember?" Noah headed into the bedroom with his towel wrapped around his waist.

Tobias followed, not bothering with the towel. "I don't own it, I'm merely a very highly placed employee who happens to pay some bills and own outside property and have a say in what happens." And was listed as part owner on many, many legal documents. "Phan, did you fall asleep?"

"Nope!" Phan rolled to his feet and gathered up the sheets, which he'd clearly stripped off while Tobias and Noah showered. "You're a part owner. Noah, can you help me make the bed?"

"See?" Noah said throwing a glance in Tobias' direction. "Nice try, owner." He picked up a clean sheet and shook it out, sending the other side across the bed to Phan.

Tobias rolled his eyes. "Morning will come, you two."

Phan wiggled and winked at Noah, but said nothing as he tucked in his side of the bed.

Noah winked back. "Ah, that's one way to win the argument. Wait it out." He laughed and tossed a couple of pillows to Phan.

Phan's eyes went wide, and he got busy fluffing the hell out of a pillow as Tobias walked toward Noah, one hand lifting a bit. He stopped, though, reasonably sure that even a light spank would turn into a wresting match and more sex; he had things to discuss. "On the bed, you two. Oh, get drinks and such, if you want them. We need to talk about the farm."

Noah glanced up at Phan and gave him a wink, but Tobias couldn't make out the meaning of the look that passed between them. "I'll get us all some tea," Noah said, brushing a hand along Tobias' side on his way out of the room.

Tobias thought about the wink as he watched Phan finish making the bed, dragging blankets and the bedspread into place, then the pillows before he turned down the sheets for Tobias. "You know, sometimes I think I'm missing a good deal of what goes on around here." Tobias climbed into the bed and gathered Phan into his arms as he spoke, keeping his tone teasing. "You and your best friend there have almost a secret language."

Phan curled into his side, still smelling of sex. "We thought about writing it down for you," he said seriously, "but then we realized that all the fun would be lost. Did you have a good day?"

Tobias smiled and kissed his forehead. "I did. I think I'll take Noah out to dinner where I went tonight. You'd be bored to tears and likely start redecorating for them. We should go downtown, you and I."

Phan perked up. "Thai?"

Tobias nodded. "Thai. You know the place, down where you used to live."

"Mmm. Thai. Spicy." Noah walked through the door carrying a tray with three mugs of tea. "God, I love that electric kettle, the water heats up so fast." His towel chose that moment to fall from his hips and hit the floor and Noah blushed. "Oops. Guess I didn't need that anyway, huh?"

"Nope." Tobias and Phan spoke at the same time, then Phan giggled and got up. "Let me help you," he said, taking two of the mugs off the tray.

"Thanks." Noah climbed up on the bed carefully so as not to spill his tea and sat cross-legged alongside Tobias so that he was facing Phan as well.

Phan passed Tobias his mug and then looked up. "What? Why are you both staring at me?"

"Because you're pretty," Tobias said with a grin. He sipped his tea and studied his mug for a moment, hoping Phan would unruffle his feathers. "And because you have something on your mind." He glanced up at Phan and smiled gently. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it yet, dear. Just know that I love you, have loved you for years, and I know you. You can't actually hide from me."

Noah nodded but said nothing, though he did brush Phan's leg with his foot in what Tobias took for a show of support.

For a moment Phan seemed to want to deny that he was thinking about anything, but then he rolled his eyes and more or less crumpled. He didn't look precisely dejected, just annoyed that he wasn't good at keeping things from either of them. "I'm still thinking," he admitted. Then he sipped from his mug, hiding behind the rim.

"That's fine, too." Tobias nodded and leaned back on the pillows, careful not to spill his tea or Phan's. "So, the farm. I'm still mulling over the last weekend, and I'd like your thoughts. We had a full bunkhouse, every bed full and each chain with a sub attached. Personally, I think the actual work went well. Having that many Doms in the ring with me kept me busy going from one to the next and helping them. But I'm not so sure about the rest." He frowned to himself. "I don't want to use the farm as a drop-in resource for afternoon classes. I like having pairs of men there for a full weekend as it gives the subs time to really sink into their roles. And I liked having that many people in the ring. But it felt off when we weren't doing actual BDSM workshops. Thoughts?"

He looked down at Phan, sure that he'd have something to say, but Phan was staring hard at Noah.

Tobias nudged him, but Phan shook his head. "I have thoughts," he said with a short nod. "But I. I mean. Sir, they're all mixed up."

Noah seemed to take that as his cue. "I think Phan and I both found having that many strangers around a little overwhelming." Noah looked thoughtful for a moment, and then looked at Phan. "Right? So many people around in what is usually our space... it was a little uncomfortable."

Tobias tried to see Phan's face, but Phan's look had turned thoughtful and his eyes remained on his tea. "It's different when it's just two or three couples," Phan said slowly. "We're working and all, but it feels like a weekend gathering, like we have friends over. They eat with us, Noah and I cook with the subs, and it's very friendly and warm. I like that, I like having people into our home, living our lifestyle. It means a lot to me that I get to spend time with the subs and they get to know me a bit. Because I am who I am, and it's really important that I have their support when I do the rest of my job."

When Phan looked up, it was to talk to Noah, not Tobias, which was completely natural. The two of them had a long history of sorting out Phan's thoughts, and when Phan was explaining only to Tobias, he often kept his eyes low even when Tobias would prefer he not be submissive. Talking directly to Noah was a sort of proxy that everyone recognized and was comfortable with.

"It's important that they trust me, see," Phan explained. "I'm the guy their Master is practicing the hard stuff on. I'm the one tied to the cross and getting walloped. They need to know that I have no designs on their Master, and that kind of knowing happens best when I spend time with them. So, when there's so many people out there that people are moving through the house in shifts, when it's crowded in the kitchen and when there's a line up for the bathroom, it's not a house party, it's just work. And there shouldn't be work in her home."

Tobias barely kept himself from blinking in surprise. He'd been following along and completely agreeing with Phantom's points, but the last statement brought him up short. "Phan?" Gently, he petted one hand down Phan's back.

Phan sighed deeply and handed Noah his mug, then curled into Tobias' side. "I miss her," he whispered. "And Elizabeth would welcome our friends. But it feels so wrong to have her home full of people we don't even have time to talk to between floggings and lessons and cleaning up all the messes. It's cold and too far removed. I didn't like it. Sir."

"I can tell." Tobias smiled a little bit and held Phantom in a one-armed hug. "Okay, too many people for Phan." He kept petting as he looked at Noah. "Sweetheart? What do you think?"

"I had a different reaction," Noah said slowly. "First of all, and I mean no disrespect to Mrs. M, because you both know I loved her, but I don't think of it as her home, I think of it as ours. Well, yours originally," Noah explained, gesturing to Tobias. "But ours now."

Noah shifted and set Phan's tea down on the side table, and his own beside it. "I actually liked having people around. What bothered me more was that they were strangers to me. It wasn't their numbers, it was their unfamiliar faces. If I'd known them better, and I think I will get to know everyone better the more I work at the club, it would have been much more comfortable."

Noah looked like he was done, but he took a quick breath and went on. "Also, and maybe another discussion entirely, but I think, Phan, that you've earned the respect of those subs simply by being Tobias' sub. By being the one experienced enough for their Masters to work with. I think that respect is due to you, that you should expect it from those subs, and their Doms, too, for that matter, long before anyone lays a hand on you." He shrugged. "I guess that's just my opinion, but... well, you've earned that."

Phan shook his head. "No."

Tobias, his head reeling a bit as he tried to gauge the pace of the conversation and judge what to tackle first, looked at Phan. "No? 'No' what?"

"No, I'm not talking about them respecting me. I don't give a fuck if they respect me or not; I know my place. But I do care about them feeling secure and safe when they are at the farm, and within an entirely new experience. I've been on their side often enough. A Master's word is one thing, often everything, but there are real people in there, and they appreciate it when the one taking their place at the cross has shown them the honor of being kind. It's not about respect at all; it's about kindness and being approachable. I'm also the guy they turn to for advice, remember."

"Hmm." Noah raised an eyebrow, looking back at Phan. "Wow, good point. I hadn't thought of that at all." When Noah turned to look at Tobias, he shrugged. "I don't know. I think, given Phan's position in all of this -- the fact that he is stepping into another sub's place for these demonstrations -- he's really the one we need to listen to here. I like to be friendly with the subs, too, but I'm not at all in the same situation he is. In the end, it always comes down to you and me. Not me and someone else's Dom."

"Sure." Tobias nodded and petted Phan as he thought. He finished drinking his tea and put his mug aside, then made Phan turn enough to look at him. "You look upset."

Phan actually looked pretty miserable. "I don't like disagreeing with Noah. I don't like it when I feel out of sync with what you two are doing or feeling. I mean, like I said, I like having people at the farm. I just like a chance to know them better, like Noah. But I also don't like her -- our -- home feeling like a hotel."

With a sigh, Tobias held Phan a bit closer. "There are a lot of things in there for me to think about, and I promise I will. I'll probably talk to you both about this again, too -- it's only a month until the next weekend retreat, and only a week until the date is open for applications. But I'm more worried about the look on your face right now and what you said about disagreeing with Noah. You're not really disagreeing, you know. And even if you were, that's okay. You're people with opinions. It's unnatural to share every opinion with someone, no matter how close you are."

"Phan, hon, we're not arguing here." Noah leaned a little closer to them both. "I think you're absolutely right. You and I are just approaching this from completely different perspectives, and I didn't understand the situation from your point of view until now. We don't have the same responsibilities during the weekend workshops; they affect us each differently. And we're talking so we make sure we don't stay out of sync, right?"

Phan nodded, and Tobias nudged him a bit, knowing he would go to Noah. Sure enough, given a little encouragement, Phan crawled almost into Noah's lap.

"Come on, boys." Tobias slid down in the bed and made room next to himself. "Phan in the middle tonight, I think. Well, at least to start." He couldn't remember a night when all three of them had shared the bed where he didn't wake up in the middle.

He rather liked that, but he wasn't about to tell them.

Noah and Phan sank into the pillows easily, fitting comfortably together without effort. "This was a good day, Phan. Promise." Noah kissed Phan on the forehead. As Tobias watched them together, he could almost see Noah slowly shifting headspace as he settled down, preparing himself mentally for the next day, things Noah did regularly that seemed so easy, but that Tobias knew took practice. "Night, sir."

Tobias smiled. "Good night, pet. Good night, boy."

"Good night, sir." Phan wiggled a bit and snuggled into both of them, his eyes closed. "Good night, kitten."

Before they could go through another round of good nights that would remind Tobias of Walton Mountain, he leaned over and shut off the light. In the dark, they might not see him thinking.

It was a good thing they were going to be working at the club in the morning. Tobias knew he had another voice to listen to there, within the walls of private offices.